


Blossom | Sakura

by ilwy_stellar99



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Deep Seated Issues, F/M, Flirty Levi, Past Abuse, Past Levi/Petra, Post Season 2/Pre Season 3, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, being in love, coping with touch sensitivity, emotionally damaged characters, eren is a stubborn hopeless romantic, hange and levi are drinking buddies, hange as a mentor figure, hard to softboy levi, jealous Levi, learning how to trust each other, learning to have feelings, levi trying to navigate a relationship, original female character x levi, past thug levi, tortured pasts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:55:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29603484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilwy_stellar99/pseuds/ilwy_stellar99
Summary: The world according to Liesl is a dangerous place. After living through a titan attack in her hometown, and a shady past of stealing to survive, she falls into the hands of the Military Police. There, she encounters Hange Zoë, who gives her an opportunity to join the cadet corps. Before officially joining, Liesl makes the famed Levi's acquaintance. They clash immediately.Years later, during a six-month training session for newly-recruited scouts, Liesl gets assigned Levi as her mentor. Not having gotten off to the best start, the two are constantly at odds. Despite her aversion to him, Liesl develops an obsession to please Levi, and she starts to wonder if her respect for him goes beyond professional admiration. As their bond grows, Liesl fights to hide her feelings...but should she, if it seems like Levi is starting to feel something too?
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. little thief

**Author's Note:**

> hello there! this story is actually something i've been working on for a while, and will be my first published aot fic. i always welcome feedback, so feel free to leave comments if you ever have any thoughts :)

…

I was seated at the head of a long table, my cuffed wrists resting on my lap. Several people sat on either side of the table, watching me silently. Each person had a green unicorn-like emblem on the breast pockets of their jackets. Military Police.

I felt out of place in this formal interrogation setting.

“State your name for the record.” a man with a strange haircut asked. I supposed he would be asking most of the questions.

“Liesl Milankovitch.” 

“Who do you work for?” 

“I don’t know.”

He scoffed.

“I worked for…an old friend who works for someone else I don’t know.” 

“The old friend—who is that?” 

“Someone from where I used to live. When I was a child.” 

“And his name?” 

I wouldn’t be loyal to Cain. He didn’t come to our aid when an attack was sprung on us. And I knew that Jude would be smart enough to split off from him now, especially after this incident.

“His name is Rook Cain.” I said. I cleared my throat afterwards to try and dissuade some of the shakiness in my voice.

“Give us a physical description of him.”

I bit my lip. “He’s um…he’s sort of pale. He has short black hair and green eyes. He’s skinny. He’s got ummm…a lean, sort of build.”

The man who was asking me questions looked at the others who sat around at him. “It looks like we got him.” his eyes returned to me. “If who’re you’re referring to is the same kid, he has been identified with a small team on repeated occasions. They’ve stolen rations, medical supplies, the like. Whoever he is, him and a few other kids have been trying what you tried last night— for the past few weeks.” 

My breath hitched. “What? What are you saying?”

“It looks like you got set up.”

I swallowed, trying to ignore the weight that had just been dropped on me. 

“What was your…motivation…for doing this job?”

“Money. I don’t particularly like stealing. But I was struggling. I was given an opportunity, and I took it.” 

“How old are you? Who’s responsible for you?” 

“I’m sixteen. I’m my own…responsibility.” I said quietly.

“Parents? Siblings?”

“Dead.” 

“Oh no,” the man said apathetically. “How very sad.” 

“So, uh,” I began. “Would you be open to letting me go? Since I got set up?”

The man and a few other people laughed. “Kid, if it were up to me…with that face and your sad story, I would let you go. But unfortunately it’s not. You’re looking at 3 to 5 years in the clink for thievery and assaulting our personnel.” 

A woman with a different crest on her jacket stood up on the other end of the table. She adjusted her glasses. “If I may. I was present at the incident where dear Liesl made her official debut, if you will.”

She was? I wondered. If she was, I didn’t see her.

“Those of us that were there would agree that Liesl was a bit violent. But she has good instincts. She’s deliberate, she seems to be quick on her feet. But she’s a rogue, and she got caught. Who else does that sound like to you?” 

I saw a few people roll their eyes, light chatter sounding throughout the room. 

“Hange, why don’t you just stay out of this?” 

“This is out of your jurisdiction, you’re from the Survey Corps!” 

“She’s not him, she’s a kid,” 

“I’ll be the first to admit, Hange, our guys aren’t the best. So it’s not like this girl did much by overtaking a few. She’s no ‘Captain Levi’ of your Scout Regiment.” the man sighed.

Who were they speaking about?

“But she’s a kid that had no personal motivation for stealing these weapons. She was clearly desperate. Why don’t we send her to the Cadet Corps? We’ll see how she does, if she gets through. If she doesn’t, she gets sent to work in the fields. Isn’t that as bad as imprisonment?”

Chatter spread throughout the room again. 

“Silence!” the chatter quieted. “Hange, acts like this cannot go unpunished,”

“Exactly! She can pay through military service! I’ll get her whipped into shape, she won’t give you any more trouble stealing because she’ll be off the streets. Think about it.” the woman reached behind her head to tighten her ponytail. “Cast this issue from your list. Don’t we all have enough to worry about right now, anyway? Humanity is in a state of chaos, especially after Shiganshina.” 

“Kid?”

I cleared my throat. “Yes?”

“Would you serve in the military to answer for your actions? Is that something you’d even be willing to do?”

I ground my teeth together as I processed the question. I wanted to survive. I wanted to be free. I wanted to live outside a cell. “Yes! I would!” I said, my voice a little more desperate than I wanted it to be. 

“If she somehow escapes your custody and wreaks havoc again, the responsibility will fall on your head, Hange,”

“I won’t disappoint you, sir.” 

“You had better not, or you’ll answer for it. This is mediocrity,” He muttered, still referring to the woman. The man turned to me. “As for you—your time as a delinquent ends here. You just heard what’ll happen if you slip up. I’m letting you off easy.” 

“Yes, sir,” I said, my voice sounding hoarse.

The man handed the woman what I assumed was the key to my handcuffs. “I expect to see her paperwork for the Corps, at least in process, by tomorrow night. I have other messes to clean up. You can take her.” 

The woman smiled in an almost crazed manner as she approached me and grabbed my arm. I was stunned at what had just happened, so she was practically dragging me down the hall.

“Liesl?” 

“Yes?”

“I’m Hange, Hange Zoë. I’m not from the Military Police, like those other guys. I’m from the Scout Regiment. But I had business in this neck of the woods, so I suppose our crossing paths was a rather happy coincidence.” She laughed as she noticed my handcuffed wrists. “We can take these off now,” She took the key and unlocked them.

“Thank you for sticking up for me,” I said. I was confused. Why did she do it?

Her eyes shone warmly through the lenses of her glasses. “Yes, of course, Liesl. I do believe we’re going to be great friends.”

…

“Your paperwork for the Cadet Corps is going to take a few days, so you’re going to stay here.” She paused with a small smile on her face. “I know that this is a lot, but at least the day’s over.” 

She patted my shoulder. I suppose she could probably tell that I was overwhelmed as I swallowed nervously, examining the grounds of the Scout Regiment.

“Yes, this is a change, to say in the least.” 

…

“There’s only vacancy in the men’s dormitory, and well, you’re not allowed to sleep there,” Hange rambled. “So you can hang out with me until we get you to the Corps. It’ll be just us girls, like a sleepover!”

“A sleepover?” I asked with confusion.

“Ah,” Hange patted me on the back as she came to the realization that I didn’t know what that was. “What I mean, is we’ll be like two chatty friends! It’ll be fun!”

“You don’t have to be nice to me. I know you’re doing me a favor.” I looked down at my nail beds.

“I’m not being nice because I have to, Liesl.” Hange smiled. “I’m being nice because I want to.You’re a lost kid. Someone has to see your potential and take care of you.”

“My potential?” I looked at her, a guilty feeling in my stomach. 

“Yes. Your life potential. Has no one ever taken you in before?”

Every ‘home’ that I had had since my parents died was typically on a room-and-board basis. “I guess not.”

“Well then, I’m taking you in!” 

“Um…thanks.” 

Hange showed me what her room looked like. It was fairly small but it was her own. And it had a bathroom and a small porch. 

“Goodness, I guess it’s after midnight already!” she exclaimed as she looked at her watch. “You must be tired. While I’m looking for your cot, you can wander around a little or whatever. I’ll call you back in.” 

I meandered around the building, reading various plaques and looking at a small fountain the nearby courtyard. Soon, I ended up in the hallway by Hange’s room again.

I was about to nod off, that is, until I noticed that someone was in the hallway. I stood up in alarm, as I tried to determine their intentions.

It was a man. He was walking barefoot, his footsteps a small patter on the ground. He had piercing grey eyes and black hair that fell in long strands around his face. He was of medium height—maybe short for a man, and he wore a loose white nightshirt and black pants.

He stopped short when he saw me. His eyes were soft at first, and then hardened after a few seconds of staring.

He scowled. “What are you looking at?” 

“I…I, um…” I was caught off guard by his bluntness. “Aren’t men supposed to be in the hall over?” I said. 

He took a step towards me. It was then that I realized how clean his feet were, despite walking barefoot. Clean and pale, with protruding veins.

“Who’re you?” I said.

He responded, his face stoic. “Levi.”

I opened my mouth, but for a moment, I couldn’t speak.

“Who do you belong to, brat?”

“No one.” 

“I figured as much.” He scoffed. “You look like you were dragged in by a cat.” 

“Aren’t you that famed Scout?” I said carefully. “You’re bitter and harsh, just like they said. Even off the battlefield, it seems.”

“It serves me well.” His charcoal eyes burned. He backed me into a wall, his hands on either side of my head.

“It’s not doing you any favors with me,” I sneered.

“Mm, and what a pity that is.” He exhaled hard through his nose.

My chest heaved at the feeling of his face being inches away from mine. 

He examined a bruise I had gotten in the fight, letting a long finger skim over my skin just so. “Hm. They got you good. If the Military Police was able to land blows on you, you should just leave. Go home.” 

He backed off, and I moved away from him the second I got the chance.

“You’re small, weak. You jump at the sound of someone walking down a hall. You’re going to die in heartbeat.” 

“Not if I can help it.” I felt my face twitch, almost like I was going to cry. “You don’t even know me.” 

He looked down at me blankly. “I don’t have to. I’m always right about these things.”

“Liesl?” Hange called, poking her head out of her door. “Oh, it looks like you met Levi!” she said in a cheery tone.

Her face went a little funny when neither of us had a response to what she said. She moved on quickly. “I found you a cot, so you can use it when you’re ready to sleep!” 

She went back into the room, but left the door open for me. 

He walked past me and poked his head in Hange’s room. “Oi, Hange. Petra’s not in her room.”

“She's probably in the shower!” Hange called.

“Mm.” was all Levi had to say in response. He took the doorknob to pull it closed, and then stopped, pushing it open further. He looked back at me and gestured to the doorway.

I watched as he turned his back to me.

“Don’t get any ideas about trying to steal from my room.” he said to me from down the hall. “Hange told me what they took you in for. Little thief.” 

…

I let my head hit the pillow, and instead of falling asleep right away, I rolled on my back and stared at the ceiling. 

That strange conversation had me unsettled.

Was that man right? Would I fail the second I got to training? Hange told me that I would still have to stay with her for a few more days until my paperwork was processed. If I really wanted to, I could back out now and go straight to…working in the fields.  
But I didn’t want to quit before I had even started. I knew I could fight, especially if I could get training on how to improve. I wanted to do something I was good at. I wanted to be useful.

Levi or whatever his name was could shove his opinions elsewhere. Where did he get off telling me that I wasn’t good enough? 

I was going to fight. Fight my insecurities, fight my fears, and the Titans. I also wanted to learn how to kick men like Cain and Levi on their asses. 

While us civilians were carefully stowed away, I had seen the Scouts fighting when the village was being attacked. I wanted to be brave too. I wanted to be brave enough, not only to fight, but to speak up. Brave like Hange.

Maybe this was the next step towards that. Two to three years in the Cadet Corps. Work to become a Scout, and a damn good one, at that. This was what I wanted now. 

I wanted to be good for Jude. I traced the lines of my palms in the darkness. I would be good and behave until Jude inevitably came back for me, just as he had promised. 

…

The second night I was staying with Hange, she had suddenly gone missing and I had locked myself out of her room. 

Truth be told, I just wanted to sit in there even if I had nothing to do. I still didn’t have any of my things, but Hange promised me that when we had finished my paperwork, she could take me to retrieve a small box of clothes and whatever else I wished to keep.

I opened a random door and burst into a room that smelled of beer and a perfumed smoke.  
Several people were draped over each other on couches—talking to each other, falling asleep, necking. 

Some eyes drifted towards me, while others took no notice of me.

“I don’t want to interrupt,” I said quickly. “I’m just looking for Hange.” 

I scanned the room carefully. My gaze fell upon a pair of sharp grey eyes that regarded me with a familiar air of boredom and indifference.

The owner of the eyes spoke. I seemed to recognize his voice now. “This brat again. She was roaming about aimlessly last night in the hall.”

“Levi—” A girl with light brown hair was sitting on his lap.

“Clearly another one of Hange’s charity cases,” he continued. “Tch. What a waste of resources and time.” 

“Levi,” the girl tried to rein him in again. “She’s just a girl.” She turned to me. “Hange’s busy with an…experiment. Did you know that she does scientific research sometimes?”

“Right,” I said.

“She should be back in an hour or so, but you can wait with us until she’s done.” she said brightly. “I’m Petra.” 

Levi glared at me, his hand resting comfortably on Petra’s thigh.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll go.” I smiled as confidently as I could as I reached for the door. 

“Wait!” she called. “What’s your name? Hange told us you were going into the Cadet Corps.” 

“Trying to recruit?” Levi’s eyes flashed to Petra, who still sat on his lap.

“I can’t help but try to persuade you to join the Scouts.” Petra said, disregarding the long, commanding fingers on her thigh. She slapped the hand and it shrunk away.

My eyes swiveled over the seals on their jackets. “I’m Liesl.” I sent Petra a small smile. “No persuasion needed here. I already want to be a Scout.” 

Before I reached for the door, I made sure to rest my eyes on Levi’s which had frozen over with a thin layer of ice. I guess he didn’t know that I was heading for his military sector.

“Best of luck,” Petra said.

“Thanks.” 

I stepped out and smiled to myself. I was going to make that Levi person regret underestimating me. 

…

On my third and final night staying with Hange, she made me come with her to the mess hall instead of hiding out in her room. 

“You don’t seem terribly anti-social,” she said. “But you seem somewhat afraid of everyone here.”

“Well, I did get arrested,” I said tentatively. “I feel a little uncomfortable is all.”

“Everyone’s come from different backgrounds. I’ve cleared your being here. It’s a safe place.”

“If you say so,” I said. 

…

I sat and smiled as I was introduced some of Hange’s comrades. I made a conscious effort to not look or act thief-like (whatever that meant), and to only speak when spoken to. 

My stomach made a strange turn when I glanced Petra and Levi sitting on the other side of the hall. Hange waved and Petra came to sit with us for a while.

Hange excused herself to go make some hot water for tea.

“Can I ask you something?” Petra said, somehow with a smile still on her face. At this point, we were the only ones sitting at the table. 

“Sure.” I said slowly.

“I don’t mean to pry, but did Levi…say anything to you? You can be honest.”

I looked down with a small smile on my face. “Well he didn’t ‘say something’, so much as tell me to give up everything and to get lost,” 

“That sounds like Levi,” she pursed her lips. “He’s quite partial to intimidation tactics.” 

“Is that right?” I said, raising an eyebrow. 

“He can be harsh, but that’s not what makes him a good soldier or a good person. Both of which, he is, by the way.”

“And what makes him those things?” I asked blandly. The judgmental part of me suggested that perhaps Petra found him good-natured because she was sleeping with him. Maybe he was only that person towards her.

“He has a bit of a different background than the rest of us. Like you. Maybe you’ll see eye to eye with him one day. I can tell you that he’s not as hard-hearted as you think he is.” 

“Oh. If that’s true, maybe you’re right.” 

It said something that she was defending him. Something made me believe her, but what I didn’t believe was that I would ever be able to see that side of him. 

“All I’m trying to say is don’t be discouraged by what he said. Hange tells me you have a lot of potential and that you have quite an opportunity.”

“I know, I’m very lucky,” I said honestly. I took a sip of water as Hange took a seat next to me with a small teapot.

“What are we talking about?” Hange said. “Also does anyone else want tea?”

“Not for me, thanks,” Petra laughed. “Liesl was just telling me—It seems that Levi gave her one of his classic warm welcomes.”

“Ha-ha,” I said drily. 

Petra’s pupils dilated as she caught sight of something across the room. I let my eyes shift to where she was looking. Levi was beckoning her to come with his finger. “I guess that’s my cue to go,” she said. “It was nice to talk to you, Liesl. Bye, Hange.”

“You too.” I tried to smile, even if I wasn’t in the best mood. It seemed like Petra meant well, after all. 

…

When we were about to go to sleep, I heard Hange shift around. “Liesl? Did Levi say something mean to you?”

“No,” I lied. I turned over and stared at the ceiling. “I think he was trying to be practical. He told me that he thought I wasn’t going to make it.” 

“Don’t let him bother you. He can be a bit negative.” 

“Oh, I couldn’t tell,” I said, sarcasm bleeding into my voice.

“At least in this stage of training, you’ll make it if you work hard enough. I believe that.” 

…

At 16, I joined the Cadet Corps, in the 105th.

I felt like I wasn’t close enough in age to the people who were starting out at the same time as me. Not to mention, they were only interested in joining the Military Police. 

So even if they were still younger than I was, I became acquainted with the class of cadets above me…the 104th.

I befriended Eren, who I can only describe as a child with a defiant, fiery personality. But he had guts, ambition, and most importantly, he was loyal. I also befriended his childhood friends, Armin and Mikasa.

Despite everyone thinking she was cold and detached, Mikasa and I became close friends. I didn’t exactly think she was warm, but that was a part of her charm. She was honest.

During the year that I spent without her in the Corps, we wrote letters. 

She told me all sorts of things—how the three had them had faired as Scouts, how everyone thought that Eren had died but that he actually had the capability to become a Titan. She told me about Eren’s trial and some of the horrific missions they had been on, like the one with the female titan. 

At the end of her last letter to me before I joined the Scouts, she wrote:

It will be so nice when we are all together again. After the recent events, Eren, Armin, and I are looking forward to it. Also, we wish you our congratulations on your ‘graduation’ from the Corps. See you soon.  
Mikasa A.

Graduating…I smiled to myself. I guess I was. At 19, I was leaving the Cadet Corps. I was finally one step closer to my dreams of becoming a Scout. 

…


	2. scout mentoring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi gets assigned as Liesl's mentor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's where our story -really- begins :D

I ran outside at the sound of horses’ hooves beating down on the ground. 

I could barely make out the shapes of Mikasa and Armin before they enveloped me in a joint hug. 

“Guys! I’m so glad you’re back!” 

I squeezed Mikasa’s cheeks because I knew she would hate it. “So pretty, so grown-up, Mikasa!”

“Agh—stop that Liesl, ow!” Mikasa grumbled but then smiled for a split second. “A lot has happened since we left. It’s good to be back.” 

“Hi Liesl!” Armin smiled cheerily. 

“Armin!” My smile faltered as I lifted some of his blond hair to find a bandage around his forehead. “What happened here?” 

“Altercation with a Titan,” Armin mumbled.

“Actually,” someone behind Mikasa and Armin said. “He got mauled by a bear,” 

“Eren!” I screeched with excitement. I ran and pounced on him, throwing my arms around his neck.

“Liesl!” Eren picked me up and swung me around in a circle. “Long time no see!” he said as he put me down. “You look good.” his emerald-like eyes glinted as he regarded me. He puffed out his chest and posed, his hands stiff on his hips. “Now how about me, how do I look?” 

I paced around him in mock contemplation. “He looks very handsome, very mature, but still a bit too skinny for my taste,” I said in a frilly voice.

Eren started violently tickling me so that I was shrieking and laughing in his arms. He taunted me. “Don’t go hurting my feelings now, Liesl, when I’ve been oh-so-kind to you!”

“Be careful, Eren. You still have an injury,” someone said sharply.

The person that spoke walked by us quickly, and Eren pulled me aside and out of their way. I squinted at the back of the man’s head. That black hair looked familiar. 

“Heichou,” Eren said reverently. 

I felt all expression drop off my face. No. That was absolutely out of the question.

“Did Mikasa tell you about him, Liesl?” Armin asked.

“No,” I said. But we’ve met before.

“That’s the guy that beat the shit out of me at my trial.” Eren talked about it as if it were an honor. “Pretty cool, huh?”

I was confused. “Wha—? I thought Mikasa said he put you in bad shape?”

“Shorty did put Eren in bad shape,” Mikasa rolled her eyes. She took my arm to walk ahead of the boys. “Let’s all of us go. We’re supposed to go to an assembly.” 

…

Erwin stood at the front of the lecture hall room. “I’ll make this short, as I know that those of you from the 104th have just returned from a mission. Each of you scouts will be assigned a mentor to assess and help you individually sharpen your combat skills over the next 6 months. After everyone has been assigned, your mentor will go over the details of the training contract with you and answer any questions you might have. I will now read off your names and give you the name of your mentor. When your name has been called, please stand in your groups until you are dismissed for further instruction.”

I noticed Levi standing next to Hange, and I shifted uncomfortably. As Erwin got further down the list of names, I began to get nervous. Erwin was in the K’s.

At this point, Levi had been assigned Mikasa and Eren. Was there any chance that Erwin wouldn’t assign him any more? I hoped that was the case.

The closer that Erwin got to the M’s, the more desperate I became. If there’s some kind of god, please let me not get Levi. Please, no. Please not him. 

“Liesl Milankovitch.”

Shit. I missed what mentor I had been given.

“Um, pardon me?” 

“Levi,” Hange mouthed.

Erwin looked at me coldly. Hange moved her head towards Levi and I shook my head.

I looked at Levi from where I stood and his sharp eyes pierced through me, displeased. He gestured to me with his index finger. Come here.

I reluctantly stood up from my seat and went to stand by Eren. 

“What just happened?” Eren whispered to me.

“We’ve met before, Levi and I.” I said under my breath. 

Erwin finally finished reading off the names, and all the scouts and their mentors began to disburse.

“I guess you three brats are with me. Let’s go.” Levi said brusquely and made his way out of the room and down the hall. 

I stayed behind Eren and Mikasa while they followed Levi, but I couldn’t forever.

“We’re just signing papers today.” Levi said, stopping in front of what I assumed was his office. “Alphabetical order. Mikasa, you first. Then Eren, then you.” He stalked inside his office and Mikasa followed him. 

“Let’s all meet later in the mess hall,” she said. Eren and I nodded.

The door shut behind Mikasa.

“God, Eren, I don’t want to go. I don’t want to talk to him,”

“Why? What did he do?” Eren asked curiously, curious amusement in his eyes.

“Nothing.” I said. “We just didn’t get off on a good foot.”

“Just nod, and act tough, and he’ll leave you alone. Take after me,” Eren said, hitting his chest with his fist in a salute.

“I think he has a fondness for you, though. This is different. Him and I are not on good terms,” 

“You’ll be fine. You’d better stop talking or he’ll hear you from in there.” 

“Eren, you’re up,” Mikasa said as she exited the room. “See you later,” she said to both of us as she left.

Once the door closed behind Eren, I let myself sink to the floor against the wall. It felt nice to sit.

I closed my eyes for a second, almost feeling relaxed; almost acceptant of my now inevitable fate. I’m going to be mentored by someone who blatantly told me I wasn’t good enough.

“Already slacking off, I see.”

I lurched awake against the wall. Where had Eren gone?

“Get up.” Levi looked down at me. “Don’t sit on the floor like that.” 

I got up and dusted off the back of my pants. “There weren’t any chairs.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “I remember you, you shitty little brat.” he said with distaste. “Tch. Let’s get this over with.” 

I sat down in the chair in front of his desk while he decided to pace behind it. 

“You will call me sir or Heichou, not my name, or anything else bothersome or inappropriate.”

He paused to look out of his window, and then continued his lecture along with his pacing behind his desk.

“You’ll bathe at least once a day and wear some type of deodorizing substance.”

“Uh—are you implying I don’t do that already?” I said in an accusatory tone.

“Following protocol, Milankovitch. ”

Something stirred in my stomach with annoyance at the realization that he could call me practically anything he wanted, when he demanded to have a title.

“You’ll report to training at my request, no matter the strange hour or location; no questions asked.”

I watched him silently as he paused in front of his window again with his back to me, his hand resting on the corner of the wall. 

“You’ll be on time, all day, every day. Earliness is recommended. Tardiness is absolutely unacceptable.”

“I don’t want to hear about your personal life. If I don’t have to hear about it, I don’t care.” 

Hm. As if I’d ever confide in you by choice.

“I’m to be treated with proper decorum. I don’t expect anything over-the-top, I just want respect. After all, I am doing this out of the kindness of my heart.” 

Out of the kindness of his heart? What did that mean?

He turned to look at me, his eyes cold and his lips in a hard line. “Your clothes will be clean and hygienic. As will you.” 

If he was a normal person, he probably would have smiled after he said that, with the way his eyes were regarding me. After a few moments I looked away, feeling strangely intimidated by his stare.

“As I’ll be aware of the rest of your schedule, I’ll be the one to assign your weekly dish-washing and cleaning duties, respectively.”

I took the pen that was in front of me, and signed the paper agreement. 

It seemed that I was signing away more of myself than I had planned…not to mention, I would be at the mercy of this cold, clean-freak of a person. Whatever. There was no looking back now.

“Questions?”

“None.”

I almost jumped as Levi abruptly pulled the paper from under my hand. “If you don’t have any questions, you can go. Friday at 7 am in training studio 009.”

“Thank you sir. See you Friday.” I got up as quickly as I could, desperate to leave the thick air that filled the office. 

The second the door shut behind me, I let out a breath. How on earth was I going to handle spending at least 6 hours a week with this person when I could barely handle ten minutes? 

…

“Did he say anything…weird to you when he was telling you his rules?” I asked Eren and Mikasa.

“He was very strange about hygiene.” Mikasa said emotionlessly. “But that’s to be expected.”

“Your clothes will be clean and hygienic, as will you,” I said in a mocking voice. “I mean, what was that?”

“That does sound like him,” Eren said, choking back a laugh. “Good one.” 

“Why, thank you,” I said airily as I laughed along with him.

“Although I should warn you—if you couldn’t tell already, he’s very particular about the way someone uhhh…cleans stuff,” he said apprehensively. “Once, when we were away on an expedition, he made me clean a room like five times.”

“Five?” I asked. “How many times can you really clean something before you’re just wasting cleaning supplies?” 

“He was all ‘do it all over again’, ‘I want it sparkling clean’,”

“It went on for awhile,” Armin said.

“You’re so lucky, Armin,” I grumbled. “You didn’t get him, you got someone else.”

“I guess,” he said in a sunny tone. “Hopefully it’ll be a smooth experience, although it would’ve been nice to get paired up with someone I’d already met.” 

…

“Hange?” I lazily sat in the chair in front of Hange’s desk.

“Yes?”

“What did Levi mean when he said he was doing this mentorship…’out of the kindness of his heart’?” 

“Erwin asked him and a few others to take new Scouts in as trainees, and to do it without getting a raise in salary.” Hange paused for a breath and continued. “I was also asked, but I had to respectfully decline,” she said proudly.

“Much too busy with your experiments, huh?” I said fondly.

“Quite unfortunate, if you ask me,” 

“Quite,” I suppressed a laugh. “Hange? Is it normal to tell Scouts to bathe and wear deodorant in their contract?”

“Well,” she started. “It’s technically in there; Those things imply cleanliness and safety. Also disease prevention.” 

“Well, I found it insulting,” I said. “I knew it, Hange. We just don’t get along. I knew it the second I saw him that he would get on my nerves.”

“Maybe you’ll get along, maybe you won’t.” Hange cleared her throat. “But it will be good for you. He’s the best we have. This is definitely an opportunity.”

“He does have a reputation,” I remarked. I looked at my slightly over-grown nails. Hm, Heichou wouldn’t like that. Time to cut and file.

“Levi’s been particularly coveted for his range of skills, especially after not having been professionally trained.”

“Blah, blah, blah,” I rolled my eyes. 

Hange raised her eyebrows.

“I’m sorry Hange, but he’s an ass!”

“You should tell him that,” she laughed. “And make sure I’m there when you do,”

“I’m not stupid enough to fall for that one,” I laughed myself, and passively looked at a book on Hange’s desk. “Besides, he already knows he’s an ass. I’ll just call him ‘Heichou’ like Eren does.”

“He’ll be so pleased,” she said sarcastically. “Well, his version of that, anyway.”

…


	3. reflexes

I was waiting in the training room for Heichou, early like he suggested. Maybe 30 minutes before the meeting time was too early.

I jumped at the sound of the door being roughly pushed open. There he was, storming in the room as if he was already in a bad mood. How? 

“Good morning.” I said quietly. He looked me up and down.

“You’re early. It’s good to know you can listen,” he said loudly. “Shoes and socks. Take them off. Now.”

I couldn’t make myself talk. 

“Don’t just stand there, do it.” he snapped. His black hair made a little swish as he turned his back to me and pulled up the shades in the training room. 

As the shades rose, the room became bathed in sunlight. I took off my shoes and socks like he asked.

“It's interesting to see that you’ve made it this far. And apparently third in your class.” he took off his own shoes and socks.

“That’s correct, sir,” I tried to keep my tone respectful. _He’s surprised?!_

“But you’ll be no match for me.” his grey eyes swiveled to me. “Of that, I’m certain.” 

He rolled up his sleeves. “Hm. You’re shorter than the other recruits. Shorter than me, even. It’ll be nice to feel tall for once.” 

**…THIRD POV…**

Levi picked up a wooden knife designed for combat practice, and twisted it niftily in his hand. 

He moved his body into a defensive stance, his knees bent, his left leg in front of his right. The wood knife was in his left hand, pointed slightly downward. 

“Try to disarm me, Milankovitch.” He deadpanned.

Liesl tried to approach Levi at her left, and failed. 

“Nope. Try again.” 

…

“You’re slow. I could have killed you three times by now.” He mimed slashing her over the stomach.

“One.” He squatted lithely, pulled her down by her ankle so that she fell on her back, and poised the knife over her heart. 

“Two.” He stood up on his knees and pulled her roughly so that he had her in a chokehold, and moved the knife in a sharp line as if to slit her throat. “Three.” 

He got up quickly, leaving Liesl breathless on the mat. He looked down at her, tantalizing. 

“You’re going to have to fix those rusty reflexes if you actually want to live.” He closed his eyes and cracked his neck. “Ugh. That was boring. We’re done for today.” 

“Done?” 

“You need more conditioning. Do one hundred pushups before you leave. If you vomit, I’ll make you clean it up. Tomorrow. 8 am. In here.” he said as he put his socks and his boots back on.

“But tomorrow’s Saturday?” Liesl questioned.

“You’re hopeless, you need more instruction.” Levi said nonchalantly.

“Hopeless?!” Liesl lost it. She didn’t feel like being ‘respectful’ anymore. “We haven’t even done anything!” she yelled.

“ **Don’t** raise your voice at me. Ever.” he looked at Liesl coldly and she swallowed, straightening her posture. “One fight like that shows me all the holes in your combat skills. In your case, I’m just looking at a goddamn cave.”

Liesl crossed her arms over her chest but didn’t speak.

“I wanted to give you another chance because I thought you had toughened up. But it appears that the 105th was particularly mouselike if **you** were able to crawl your way to 3rd in the ranks.”

Liesl still didn’t say anything.

“I don’t see you doing any push-ups.” 

The door shut behind him and Liesl sighed. She guessed she’d better hit the weight room before next week if this was how things were going to go. 

**…LIESL’S POV…**

During the first week of training, it became very clear that Heichou and I did not like each other. In fact, we hated each other.

At first, I would try to be respectful and stay quiet, allowing my anger to simmer, and then to eventually boil over. This led to passive-aggressive arguments and yelling matches that always ended in me being a frustrated mess, and him looking down on me triumphantly and walking away.

We avoided each other in public settings, and would acknowledge everyone but each other just to be spiteful.

Every time we saw each other, he would always glare at me as if I had gotten in his way and make every effort to make me feel like a burden.

Without overtly saying it, I made it clear to him that I thought he was rude, arrogant, and honestly kind of a prick. 

Every day, every different activity, there was always something new that I was doing wrong, something new that _Heichou_ chose to pick at, whether it was my personality, my skills, or my past.

WEIGHT ROOM

Heichou’s face looked even more evil upside down. I told him I didn’t want him to spot me, but he didn’t listen. “You don’t trust yourself. I wouldn’t either, not with that nervous face.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means your lack of confidence is going to translate to the battlefront.”

Heichou abruptly let go of the bar he was helping me hold, and I gasped but held the weight, my arms burning. 

“That’s too much, that’s above what I do, even to push myself,” I panted. “Heichou!”

“Does it hurt? If it does, it’s working.”

I panted, feeling my face contort with effort as held the bar. I could make out Heichou in the corner of my eye, grabbing _more_ weight to add to the bar. “Hey. I said that’s enough.”

“It’s enough when I say so. You can handle it.” Levi roughly pushed an additional disk to either side of the bar. 

I was losing it. I was slipping, and he was just looking down at me smugly, his stupid face still upside down over the bar where he was _supposed_ to be spotting me. 

Finally, after a few panicked seconds of struggle, I was able to push the bar up high enough to put it back on the pegs. 

I stood up, wiping sweat off my brow. “You’re just so damn pleased with yourself, aren’t you? Aren’t you? I can’t believe this! I could have hurt myself, and you’d stand there and watch. Nevermind, _that_ , I would believe.” I huffed.

He raised his eyebrows. “Are you finished?” 

“I’m going to get some water.”

“Yes, go cool off. Don’t bring that attitude back in here with you.” 

I came back, and he was leaning against the wall of the gym, his arms crossed over his chest. His colorless eyes swiveled up to me. “Go run ten laps.”

“I just,” My face was still hot from exerting myself on the weight bench. “But I? The weights?”

“You talked back and it annoyed me.”

“No.” I wasn’t going to run. Ten. Laps.

“No? Would you rather clean my office until it’s dark outside?”

“You’re a pain in my ass,” I said under my breath.

“What?” he pushed off the wall to look down on me.

“Yes, sir.” 

“That’s what I thought.” his nostrils flared as he gestured to the field with his hand. 

My hands in fists, I went outside and groaned loudly as I began to run. 

OMNI-DIRECTIONAL MOBILITY GEAR

“I know you hate me, but you don’t have to be so obvious about it. Keep in mind, I didn’t choose you either!” I yelled from up on a tree branch.

I couldn’t quite make out Heichou’s facial expressions. “Oi! Come down, brat. I want to say something to you!” he yelled, his voice hoarse from having to be so loud.

_Oh, shit._ I thought. _I’ve done it now._

I landed in front of him, the hum of the ODM gear quieting as my feet touched the ground. “What?”

“Stop trying to be smart. You’re putting words in my mouth.” he narrowed his eyes at me as I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “A lot of people die during these expeditions. In fact, most people die. You know who survived?”

I didn’t answer.

“Me. You’ll thank me for my instruction and anything else I have to give you. Understand?” 

I looked at him, trying to bite back every comment I had. The only thing I had to say was a grumbled “Whatever.”

He abruptly pulled me to him and grabbed my face, turning me to look at him. I gasped as I felt his hot breath on my face. “Milankovitch, didn’t we talk about the way you address me?”

He stopped squeezing my face to let me answer.

“Yes, sir, I understand,” I said breathlessly. “I’ll say ‘thank you’ from now on,”

“Good we got that straightened out.” Levi said, an irritated look in his eyes. “Now go back up there. You had better be ten times faster than last time. We’re looking at _weaving_ from tree to tree, not stagnant jumping like a drunk spider.”

I ignored the spider comment, which I didn’t even believe was true. He was just nit-picky. 

“Heichou, you’re still holding my arm,” I told him, tugging at my wrist, which I suppose his fingers had unconsciously closed around.

“Tch.” He let go of me, shaking his hand as if to get rid of something.

I only scowled at him as I massaged my wrist where he had squeezed it too hard. 

I made sure all my gear was secure before I went for another try. 

…

By the Friday that followed my first training session, I was a wreck. In the mess hall again, I leaned my head on Eren’s shoulder. I felt my mind wandering as I closed my eyes. That first week had been long.

He patted my head. “You alright, friend?”

“I’m super. Sore all over, extremely fatigued. I’m pretty sure I’m never going to get the complete function of my arms back. But again, I’m super.”

“What’s wrong with your arms?”

“Heichou added forty extra pounds to my bench.” I mumbled.

“What are you two doing?” I heard Mikasa’s voice asking over my head. She sounded mad. 

I quickly moved off of Eren. “Waiting for you to get out. How was training?”

“Fine. Levi’s pushing it, but that’s normal.”

“At least he doesn’t hate your guts,” I said. 

“I don’t think he hates anyone. He’s just like the rest of us.”

“He is _not_ like the rest of us,” I protested. Eren ripped off a piece of his bread and handed to me. I took a bite. “I think he was made at a special factory where they inject more cockiness into you the second you’re pushed out of the womb,”

Armin and Eren snorted.

“I’m serious!” I said.

“Yeah, so what? He’s the best that the Survey Corps has.” Eren responded.

“So you all just… _accept_ this behavior from him?” I asked incredulously.

“What other option is there?” Armin remarked. “Maybe you can make him like you or something. I mean, you’ve got half a year.” Armin reached over the table for a knife and began to butter his bread.

“Believe me, Armin. That’s not the goal. This is a mutual dislike we’re talking about here.”

“It’s only January.” Armin shrugged, his blue eyes thoughtful. “Find common ground?”

“We have _nothing_ in common.” my hands formed into fists at my sides again as I imagined his smug face in my mind. “I hate him.”

“Easy there, little one. What about the function of your arms?” Eren taunted.

“Yeah, whatever. I’m sick of talking about this. What’re you guys doing this weekend?” I asked.

“Okay, two words,” Eren began excitedly. “Rock climbing.”

“Absolutely not,” Mikasa cut in.

“Come on, we’ll be careful! Plus, we’ve already picked out a fantastic spot.” Armin said. “It’s only a matter of getting harnesses and picks now. Then we’ll go.”

“I said no!” Mikasa said, her clear eyes icy. “It’s too dangerous. Eren will fall off the side and I won’t be able to get to him.”

“Why can you never leave well enough alone? I can handle myself just fine!” Eren burst out.

“No, you can’t! You’re always getting into trouble that I have to drag you out of.” Mikasa was nonchalant. 

I stayed silent. From what I had seen of them, she was right.

“Just for that, you’re uninvited.” Eren responded pettily. 

“Guys,” I said. “Let’s not fight or un-invite anyone okay?” I never tried to interfere, but this seemed like a necessary time to do so. “We’ll all go and watch you practice. On lower rocks.”

“Wha—?” Eren said.

“ _Won’t_ we?” I said, trying to strong-arm him.

“Fine. That’s fine.” Eren shook his head.

…

By the time we were leaving, the argument had simmered down. I was talking to Eren and I bumped shoulders with Levi.

“Watch where you’re going.” He said in a bored voice.

“Sorry.”

He barely looked at me as he kept on walking.

…


	4. blades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Liesl continue to clash.

As the end of the second week arrived, I was fairly accustomed to how things were. I hadn’t always been used to being tired and bruised, but to be honest, I welcomed it. 

With my body feeling sore in this way, I could almost feel the change happening; although it certainly would not happen overnight. 

What I did not welcome, however, was my continued anti-bond of mutual hate with dear Levi Heichou. 

Everyone seemed to be in love with him except me. Well, that was an exaggeration. 

Everyone seemed to like him, at the very least. And since he had a harsh personality to start with, they couldn’t see that he hated me a little more than everyone else. 

Either way, one of my goals was still to prove _him_ wrong.

As Heichou demanded that I meet him at 06:45, I woke up at 05:30. He wanted to go to a different venue to practice knives and blades and I was supposed to wait in front of his housing complex at 06:30. 

Trying to wake myself, I was drinking coffee in the mess hall by 06:00. I was surprised when I saw Mikasa coming in and taking a seat in front of me.

“Morning,” I said, trying not to sound too tired. “Where are the boys?”

“Good morning,” she said. She took a sip of green tea. “They’re still asleep. They don’t have to do anything today.”

“How nice for them,” I said. “But listen, since it’s just us, what’s been going on with you? I feel like we’ve been missing each other lately.”

Mikasa took another sip of tea and swallowed tentatively. “I’m in love with Eren.”

“Oh—um…wow!” I remarked, coughing slightly as I tried not to choke on my coffee. “That’s…that’s so great!”

“Do you think he knows?” she asked, leaning over the table.

“To be honest, Mikasa, I think you’d know better than I would.” I said. “You two have so much history. I mean, he’s got to know how you feel on _some_ level, right?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Boys can be oblivious, can’t they? Maybe you just have to sit him down and tell him…See what he says?”

Mikasa looked thoughtful. “Maybe I should,”

“If you want to, you should. Then you can get an answer.” I said. 

Mikasa nodded.

“He’d be lucky to have you, Mikasa,” I started gushing. “It would be so romantic—”

“That’s enough about that,” Mikasa cut me off. “There’s a good chance he doesn’t feel that way.”

“You won’t know for sure until you ask him,” I said.

“Don’t you have to go?” She said, pointing to the clock on the wall. “It’s six twenty-five,”

“Shit, you’re right,” I cursed. “But we’re not done talking about this, okay? I’ll see you later!” 

I hastily rinsed out my cup and left it in the big sink and ran to wait in front of Heichou’s complex. 

I leaned against the wall, as ten minutes had already passed by. 

Huh. He didn’t really seem to be someone that would be late to something that he scheduled himself.

I wandered into the complex and blindly looked for his room. 

_Where is the bastard, and why is he late? I’ll knock on his door and he won’t be ready yet. That’ll show him that I can be on time._

I took a narrow staircase to the second floor, and found that his room was the fifth down the hall. It had a little “ _LEVI_ ” plaque on the wall next to the door, so I only assumed that was his. 

His door was cracked open, but I couldn’t see much. All I could hear were loud grunting noises. 

I pushed the door open to find Heichou on a mat on the floor of his room—vigorously doing pushups without his shirt on. He was covered in sweat, so much so that his hair looked wet. 

He looked up angrily and I felt the shock register in me. He stood up, his eyes wide. “What the _fuck_ are you doing in here?”

“Agh! Ew, oh my god!” I yelped, covering my face as he stood up. 

I could see through my fingers that he was pointing to the door through which I had entered. “Get out! Get out, now!” 

I hurriedly closed the door behind me. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I thought you said to meet you at six thirty!” I yelled from the other side of the wall. “Shit,” I said under my breath. This was only going to make things worse. 

He opened the door and stuck his head out, his sweaty hair sticking to his face. “ _Eight_ thirty. I said _eight_ thirty, you idiot. I said sleep in, so that we can get the equipment and go to the place when it’s warm! But you came early, so we’re going now.”

“I’m sorry,” I said again. “I’ll just,” I pointed to the staircase. “We can just go at eight thirty like you wanted.”

“No!” he barked. “We’re going now! I’ll take five minutes in the shower. Are you able to sit still for that long? Or is _that_ too difficult as well?”

“Yes, I’m able!” I yelled back at him. “I’ll just wait out here.” I said, shrinking away at the sound of the door slamming. 

Just as he said he would, he came out five minutes later and quickly made his way down the stairs. I had to skip steps on the way down to keep up with him.

Without speaking at all, we both went to the small warehouse next to the training room and got our knives and the blades that were used along with ODM gear.

He remained a few steps ahead as he led me down a dirt path.

As we walked, I found myself ducking under branches and pulling leaves out of my hair. The path curved through a bit of brush and several tall cedar trees that made it seem dark out. 

However, once we walked through a clearing, I could see that the sky had become lighter. The sun was covered by grayish white clouds which made for a particularly gloomy morning.

“Oi.” Levi snapped his fingers in front of my face and I flinched. “Pay attention. We have a lot to do, so you can’t be daydreaming.”

“Oh, um. Sorry I didn’t notice—”

“I didn’t ask for an explanation. You do any knife work when you were a stealing rat?”

“Excuse me?”

“Did you?” He asked, his eyes widening impatiently.

“Yes, I did knife work,” I seethed. “And then they taught us the blades as cadets,” 

“Hm. Doesn’t look like it.” 

“You don’t have to call me a rat just because I saw you half-naked,” 

He pushed me backwards and I let out a yelp of surprise as I fell on my ass. 

“Oops.”

“Ow!”

“You know what that was for.” 

…

“What's with your posture? This isn’t fencing,” Levi snapped, poking my hipbone with the hilt of his blade. 

“Is this what they’re teaching at the Corps these days? At this rate, I don’t even know why anyone goes. They’re just teaching these brats how to die faster,” 

“Is it okay for you to badmouth the Cadet Corps this much?” I asked, fixing my posture to something that he saw fit. “I thought that you were supposed to talk them up.”

“We’re not supposed to kill each other. That’s all. It doesn’t mean that I agree with their teaching methods.” 

“Is this stance better?” I asked.

He shrugged. “It’ll do.” 

..

Next were the blades used along with the ODM gear. There was more criticism that Heichou seemed to have in this area as well. 

“First off, you’re holding them all wrong. You need to hold it like this.” 

Levi turned the blade in my hand and made my fingers close tightly over the hilt. Then, he stepped back and showed me how he thought one should move the blades. 

“You see how much mobility I have this way? My wrists aren’t locked. Much more flexible. Much less at risk for injury.” 

He took another step back and moved the blades with speed and efficiency. _Whoosh, whoosh._ “You see? You do it.”

I took additional steps away from him and moved the blades, feeling how sharp they were this way, how much faster they cut the air. “They’re perfect,” I remarked.

“I know.” He stashed his blades on the sides of his gear belt and walked towards me. 

His dark grey eyes considered me as he took the blades from my hands and put them away on the belt around my hips.

“Are we going now?”

“Yes, that’s it for today.”

“What? Why?”

“Today was just preparation. Now that you know where the river is, you’ll run here for your cardio on days that we meet here. And we’re upping your bench weight. I saw your arms shaking with those blades.”

“They were not!”

“I know a weak arm when I see one, Milankovitch. Don’t argue.” He cracked his neck, and shifted the belt on his waist before walking up the small slanted bank. “We’re going.”

…

“Hey, you’re leaving me behind,” I whined as a branch from a shrub almost went in my eye.

“Then keep up.”

“Typical,” I said under my breath. 

I didn’t think that Levi had heard me until he stopped walking and turned around with a harsh look on his face. “Do you want me to tell you how it is? Or would you rather be coddled?” 

Feeling intimidated, I took a step back, and he placed his hands over his slender hips, stepping forward to match me. He just wanted to be in my damn face.

“You don’t have to be rude.” I said, knowing that my tone was accusatory. I would definitely get yelled at for that.

“And you don’t have to be a whining bitch at every turn. I’m taking time out of my day to help you. Extra time, since you’re behind everyone else.”

“You know every time you try to lecture me about how ‘nice’ you are, the less genuine it seems. You’re just doing this to look good. It’s so clear you’re trying to kiss up to Erwin,” I rolled my eyes and put my hands on my hips. I stared off at a bush that had rounded mint-green leaves.

“You watch your goddamn mouth. run your mouth before you have knowledge of a situation. All the respect I have earned has come from a place of hard work, sweat and blood, insolent brat.”

“I know, I’ve heard the story.”

“ _What_ story?” Levi paused, his eyebrow quirked up inquisitively. 

“The one where you beat up Eren? And you said that ‘pain is the best discipline’?”

“Oh, that one. Yes. I still believe that’s true.”

“That sounds problematic,”

“Not all pain is physical. You’ll understand when you actually get your hands dirty.”

“I’ve had to fight before.”

“What I mean is, when you’ve seen the Titans. When you’re faced with the decision to kill something.”

“Do you even know where I’ve come from? We’ve all seen terrible things, Heichou. You’re not the only one.”

“I know, little thief. I recall your history just fine.”

The fact that Levi could chalk up my entire life to my stealing days made me want to scream. But I said nothing, as I wasn’t willing to divulge any of my past. Better to play it safe.

We didn’t talk any more on the way back to the Scout Regiment buildings. I didn’t really feel like arguing at this point. No matter what I would say, I was sure that Levi would come up with some way to tell me that I was wrong.

I tried not to hang my head as we reentered the grounds.

“You’re cleaning for me on Saturday morning. Three hours.” Levi said coldly.

“But—”

“I don’t give a shit about any plans or whatever the hell is going on in your life. You’re always mouthing off, and it’s wasting my time.”

“That’s not fair! You can’t punish me for walking into your testosterone fest this morning,” I protested. “I already said I was sorry!”

“Four hours.”

“Whatever. At least I’m allowed to leave now.”

“Five.”

I put away the equipment. I turned around to see Heichou standing before me, his arms crossed over his chest. I did the same and scowled up at him defiantly.

Levi’s eyes flashed with displeasure and annoyance. “ _Six_ hours. Go wash up for dish duty. Now.” 

…

“Today was very long,” I sighed.

Eren said nothing and opened his arms. I accepted his nonverbal offer willingly.

“Eren, Mikasa. I hope you’ve been taking care of yourselves.” 

I felt myself tense up as I heard Heichou’s voice.

“Yes, we have sir,” I heard Eren say over my head.

“Good. Mikasa, make sure and give your wrist a break in the weight room this weekend. We need it in good shape for blades on Monday.”

“Yes, sir.” 

He turned to me. I was hiding in the crook of Eren’s neck. “And you. I expect you to be standing in front of my office at 5:30 tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, sir,” I squeaked.

Levi started walking away, and then spoke over his shoulder, glancing at Eren’s hands on my back. “Don’t hug her too tight, Eren. She has to do six hours of cleaning for me tomorrow.”

…

“Here’s a piece of scrap cloth for your face. Don’t make that face, it’s clean. Although I’m afraid this room is not.” Levi said. 

“I suppose that’s to be expected,” I responded as I tied the piece of cloth in a makeshift mask over my mouth and nose.

Levi opened the dust-covered window, allowing some sunlight in, and stepped over several odds and ends on the floor. He reached out into the hallway, and placed a bucket of cleaning supplies in front of me. 

The corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk for a split second. “See you at noon, Milankovitch. Don’t have too much fun.”

…

At noon, I was allowed to leave from my day of ‘detention’ cleaning. I put all of the cleaning supplies back into Levi’s closet, and resorted to taking a walk around the grounds. 

At the very least, the day wasn’t over, so I could still find something to do with it. After a few laps around the dormitories and spending half an hour in the weight room, I decided to pay Hange a visit in the lab.

…

**…THIRD POV…**

“We’re butting heads, Hange. I don’t know what to do.”

Hange shrugged. “Don’t do anything. Just be patient. Things have a way of working themselves out. They always do.”

“I suppose,” Liesl said uncertainly. “What is all this stuff?”

“I’m trying to formulate super-vitamins for all of us to take. Multivitamins.”

“Multivitamins?”

“Yes, so we can get all the nutrients we need and get everything we can out of training.”

“Cool,” Liesl said as she watched Hange inject an orange liquid into a syringe.

A green substance in an Erlenmeyer flask began to bubble profusely.

“Goggles, Liesl, goggles!”

Liesl hurriedly grabbed a pair and pulled them over her eyes.

“Nevermind, we’re good.” Hange said with relief.

“Oh, alright, phew.”

Hange turned her attention back to the syringe. She tapped it with her fingernail and set it down.

“What are these little yellow capsules, Hange?” Liesl asked. She pointed to a jar on the table next to the syringe Hange had just put down.

“Those are Vitamin D supplements. They’re actually for…” _Was she supposed to say?_ “I’m trying to find a way to infuse Vitamin D into the multivitamins as well.”

“Oh. That’s going to be a lot of vitamins,” Liesl laughed.

“Yes, quite a few.”

Liesl sighed. “Well, I’d better go. Maybe I’ll have lunch with Eren or something,” 

“See you later,” Hange called as Liesl left the lab.

Moments later, the door opened again.

Hange looked up. “I’m getting quite a few visitors today,” she remarked. “In fact, you just missed your favorite person.”

“Who?”

“Liesl,”

“Milankovitch is far from my favorite. She’s barely manageable as it is.” Levi leaned back against the wall. “Did you get the thing that I asked for?”

Hange rolled her eyes. “Here,” she handed him a jar full of clear, golden-colored capsules. “These are for you. I think a Vitamin D deficiency could be the culprit of the symptoms you described to me last week.”

“Thanks, Four-Eyes.” Levi nodded and took the jar from Hange.

“Two capsules a day, one at breakfast, one at dinner!” Hange added before the door shut behind Levi.  
…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmm...what's up with levi? guess we'll find out in due time... :3


End file.
